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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28718634">Let Me Protect You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/escapethroughreading/pseuds/escapethroughreading'>escapethroughreading</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Please don't judge me for this, Tags Are Hard, Whump, cm whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:55:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,536</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28718634</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/escapethroughreading/pseuds/escapethroughreading</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Morgan and Reid are kidnapped by an unsub, the two of them must do their best to survive. But when it comes down to the wire, will they both make it out?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Morgan &amp; Spencer Reid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>TW: violence</p><p>MORGAN'S POV:</p><p>"We need to work quick. We have one victim still missing, Erin Garret. She's been missing for fifteen days, and there has been no sign of her. We estimate that we have about fourteen more days to find her before he kills her." Hotch explains. "Well, we know that the killer is a textbook psychopath. The torture he inflicted on his victims was extreme and over-zealous." I nod at JJ's assessment. "It wasn't about the killing. It was about inflicting pain. He kept his victims alive for weeks. We can use this to our advantage. We have more time to find Garret."</p><p>"We have a geographical profile at least." Reid states. "We do? We haven't-" Hotch begins but Reid cuts him off. "I did it in my head while we were talking. He has about a six mile radius. He abducts and dumps the bodies close together. They'd probably try to dump the body where they were abducted, except for the fact that the police would be watching the area. Do they have any suspects?" </p><p>Garcia nods, bringing up a series of photos. "The first suspect is John Werrington. He's the ex-step father of victim #3, Elena Ryans. He has a record of assault and did one short stay in a psychiatric ward. The second suspect is Brian Smith. He was one of the first people to find the body of victim #5, Terrence Loiran. Wouldn't be suspicious except for the fact that he neglected to tell law enforcement until eight hours later. Third suspect is Steven Klein. He's a known violent offender, and he attended all the victim's funerals. He says it was because he wanted to pay respects, but no one believes him. These are the main three. There are a couple others, but they aren't of much interest to the case."</p><p>"We have five victims, including one still missing and only three possible suspects. It seems too easy." the others nod in agreement. "Once we get to Indiana, we can see if it's as cut and dry as it appears. Until then we need to look at all our options."</p><p>**************************</p><p>We pass miles of fields before we hit a city. We pass a sign that reads "Chesterton, Pop. 13,000". The town is bustling with people, which is surprising considering that there's an active serial killer running around. The police station is smack dab in the center of town, a small office building. When we walk inside, everyone turns to look at us. "We're here from the FBI. We'd like to speak with Captain Francis." Hotch says sternly. "Hi. I'm officer Lensel, I'll walk you over to his office." the officer is a big man, maybe six feet. He's got clear muscles and he's quite a looker. We follow him to the office in the back and he holds open the door for us. The captain is sitting at his desk and he looks exhausted. he pastes on a smile and gestures for us to sit in the chairs set up in front of his desk.</p><p>"Welcome to Indiana. I'm Captain Francis, and I assume you've already met my right hand Lensel." He shakes each of our hands except Reid's, who declines like he usually does. "Whatever you guys need, just let me or Lensel know. We want to get this case closed and put this son of a bitch in a prison cell." Captain Francis's runs a hand through his grey hair, shaking his head slowly. "Ain't never seen anything like this, and I've been working here for forty years," he admits. He fills us in on the details we already know and gives us directions to each crime scene. Once we leave the office, Hotch splits us up into groups. "Morgan and Reid, go check out the first three scenes. Emily and JJ, you guys start on questioning. Rossi, you come check out the other three scenes with me. Meet back in two hours." </p><p>We're just finishing up on crime scene three when Reid's phone rings. He picks up and put it's on speaker. "Hey, Hotch. Whatcha got?" Reid questions.</p><p>"Get to the Saint Mary hospital. Erin Garret is alive. She's in a coma, but she's alive."</p><p>**************************</p><p>The girl in the bed can't be older than eighteen. She looks like she's been through hell and back. Bruises litter her face and her head is wrapped in white bandages. A ventilator forces her chest to rise and fall, following the beeping of the heart monitor. No matter how many times I see this, it never gets easier. "Hi, I'm Doctor Reid and this is agent Morgan. We're here to see Erin Garret?" we flash our badges and the nurse's eyes widen. "Of course. But I have to stay in the room in case she crashes." She holds the door for us as we enter. Reid immediately checks her medical chart, flipping through the pages with incredible speed. Once Reid is finished, he turns to me. "She has six broken bones two fractures, burn marks on her chest, stomach, and arms, lacerations all over her body, and she's malnourished. She's lucky to be alive." Reid places the medical sheet back onto it's hook with a sigh. "No one deserves this." he murmurs. </p><p>"Why would he let her go if she was still alive? It doesn't fit his M.O." I muse. "My guess is due to the trauma, her body went into shut down and her heart started doing minimum work, making her appear dead. I can't be sure, but that's my best theory." the nurse listens to all this, her eyes wide. "I'll call Hotch, let him know what we found. I'll be right back." Reid leaves the room. The only sound now is the beeping of the heart monitor. "Does she have any family?" I softly ask. The Nurse shakes her head. "Not that we know of. She was new in town, fresh out of high school and about to start college. I've been sitting with her to keep her company. I have a daughter about her age. I wouldn't want her to be alone like this." The nurse wipes a tear from her eye, apologizing. "You're doing a good thing." I reassure her.</p><p>Reid comes in again, telling me that we have to head to the newest crime scene. I leave, but not before sneaking one more look back at Erin. The nurse is sitting at her bedside again, talking to her quietly. I hope Erin can hear her.</p><p>
  <strong>A/N: Please leave feedback and let me know what I can do to improve :)</strong>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>TW: Violence, kidnapping</p><p>REID'S POV:</p><p>The image of Erin in that bed keeps running through my mind. Whenever you see a kid go through something like this, it sticks with you. The scene is already swarming with police, reporters yelling questions at us. Morgan holds the tape for me as I duck under, following behind me. We're in an auto lot. Broken down cars litter the plot, some rather new and others rusty and old. There's a bloodstained spot in the center of the area. The forensics team is taking samples and photos, putting things in vials and evidence bags. "What do we know?" I ask the nearest police officer. "Not much. We have a half shoe print, the forensics team is estimating that it's a size five. Other than that we don't have anything else. We're sending blood samples in for testing, but we're pretty sure they belong to Erin Garret." I sigh and run a hand through my hair. We have so little to work with. We stay for a few more minutes, but nothing new is revealed. We decide to head back to meet Hotch.</p><p>When we get back to the police station, we head straight to the conference room. Hotch and Rossi have set up a workstation, a board of photos and evidence sitting on one wall. We fill them in on what we know. Hours pass as we talk and try to pin down a clear M.O. and pattern. JJ and Emily join us, sharing their findings. Nothing seems to fit. My mind is going a hundred miles an hour, trying to piece everything together. Thoughts swirl past, noises and faces joining them. It's too loud, too overwhelming. I can't focus. "I'm going to get some air. I'll be right back." I push my chair out and stand up, stretching my sore muscles. "Mind if I join you?" Morgan asks. "Not at all." The two of us leave the conference room and go out the back door and into the parking lot. The city is quiet. I can actually see the stars here, and they're beautiful.</p><p>"This is all so frustrating. I can tell there's a connection, but I just can't find it." I mutter. "We'll figure it out, pretty boy. It just takes time." I sigh. "We don't have time, Morgan. The unsub is probably already looking for his next victim." Morgan places a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me. "We can solve this. We catch bad guys, that's our job." I rub my eyes. The late hour is starting to catch up with me. "Hey. I figured you guys would like a pick-me-up." I turn around to see Lensel. He has two cups of coffee, steaming hot. "Thank you." I eagerly grab mine and take a sip. Usually I would dump a shit load of sugar into it, but right now I'm too tired to care. I drain the coffee and grimace at the bitter taste. Morgan does the same, sighing contentedly. "You're a life saver, Lensel." Morgan says with a smile. "No problem. You guys are doing me a giant favor by coming here." </p><p>My tongue tastes coppery. I don't like it. I look up at the stars again. They seem brighter and a little blurrier. Instead of defined dots they look more like splotches of light. I feel a bit dizzy. "I think I should sit down," my voice sounds garbled. Then I'm falling into some one's arms. When I look up, I expect to see Morgan. Instead I see Lensel. His face goes in and out of focus. "Just go to sleep. Don't fight it." his eyes flash, and I swear they turn red. Then everything goes black.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tw: Violence, blood</p><p>MORGAN'S POV:</p><p>My head is pounding. I feel almost hung over, except I haven't had a drink. I blink open my eyes. I see pure blackness. I feel a rough fabric against my face. I reach up to take it off, but find that my arms are tied behind me. Fuck. This is bad. "Reid? Reid?" I pray that he's not here with me. But then I hear him moan a bit and wake up. "Morgan? Morgan, where are you?" his voice is panicked. I hear him struggling. "It's okay, pretty boy. I'm right here. Just listen to my voice." Reid calms down a bit. "I think we were drugged." Reid states. I chuckle, but there's no humor in it. "Derek. I don't want to do this again." His voice cracks. I can tell that he's having flashbacks to his experience with Hankel. "We're going to be okay. The team will be here soon." My lie rings hollow. Neither of us believe it. </p><p>I hear a door open. My heart starts beating faster. "Hello, agent Morgan and agent Reid." the voice sounds familiar but I can't be sure. Suddenly the bag is ripped of my head, and I blink as my eyes adjust to the light. As soon as I can see, I look over in the direction of Reid's voice. He's sitting there, staring at our attacker with fear in his eyes. When I see who it is, my gut churns. "Lensel." I growl. "Nice to see that the two of you are finally awake. I've been waiting for hours." He stalks towards Reid and grabs his hair, pulling his head back. Reid grits his teeth to hold back a yelp. "Hmm. He's a handsome one, isn't he?" he inspects Reid's face. "Don't touch him." Lensel ignores me and pulls Reid's hair harder. "You aren't in any position to be making demands, agent." he releases his grip and Reid's head falls back with a thunk. </p><p>Lensel looks between the two of us, tapping his chin. "So many things to do, so little time." he hums. "Why don't we start with you, agent Reid?" He grabs Reid's shirt and drags him to the center of the floor. "No! Start with me, leave him alone. I'll do whatever you want, just let him go." I need to protect Reid. Lensel looks at me with amusement. "Hmm. Protective, aren't you? That's always fun. I can hurt you by hurting someone else." My heart sinks. </p><p>Suddenly Lensel's hand flies forward and meets Reid's cheek with a sickening crack. He falls to the ground and spits out some blood. Lensel's foot connects with his stomach and Reid coughs, moaning in pain. The blows keep coming. I beg Lensel to stop, but my voice is drowned out by the sound of Reid's body breaking. I hear a rib snap. I hear him hoarsely beg for my help. I hear him cough up blood. Eventually he stops moving. Lensel still doesn't let up. "You're killing him! Stop!" I can feel panic overtaking me. I can't protect him. I'm just watching him get hurt.</p><p>When Lensel finally stop, he throws Reid's limp form over to me. He reaches behind and wraps rope around my arms, tying it to a shackle on the wall. He cuts the zip ties but leaves the ropes tight. I can move enough to get to Reid but not enough to reach Lensel. I grab Reid and pull him close, resting his head on my legs. Bruises cover Reid's face and his hair is matted with blood. "You bastard. I'll kill you. I'LL KILL YOU!" Lensel just laughs. With that, he leaves. I hear the door lock behind him. We're left in near darkness again. </p><p>I gently tap Reid's face, attempting to rouse him. A few moments later, Reid's eyes open. He groggily stares at me, wincing when he turns his neck. "Hey, pretty boy." I gently run a hand through his tangled hair, making sure not to press on any cuts. His eyes fall closed again. I allow him to sleep, waking him up every hour or so to make sure that his brain hasn't shut down. I'm not sure how much time passes. It's hard to know when there are no windows or outside light. I sleep for a bit, but not enough. I force myself to stay up to keep an eye on Reid. I just have to keep him safe for a while longer. The team will be here soon. They have to be.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>TW: Violence, torture</p><p>REID'S POV:</p><p>"Derek." My voice is hoarse. Morgan looks down at me, a small smile on his face. He has dark circles under his eyes, the shade of bruises. He clearly hasn't slept. "Hey, pretty boy." He pushes hair out of my eyes, his fingers softly catching on some of the curls. "Do we have any water?" I know the answer is no, but I still ask. Morgan shakes his head. "I'm sorry. Hopefully we'll get some soon." I let my eyes close again. I've been in and out of sleep, Morgan waking me up every now and then to make sure I haven't gone into a coma or something. "How are you feeling?" Morgan asks. "Not great. But I'll be okay." I feel like I got hit by a truck, but he doesn't need to know that. He's being strong for me so I have to do the same. Derek has always been the protective one. He's the kind of guy that will jump in front of a bullet for you. Whenever any of us gets hurt, he feels guilty, like he hadn't done his job. We always remind him that it's not his burden to carry, but he does it anyway. </p><p>I hear the lock on the door turn. Derek moves me behind him, shielding me with his body. Lensel comes in. My heart immediately starts beating faster due to fear. "Hungry?" he holds out two protein bars and a bottle of water. Both of us stay silent. "Use your words." He demands. "Yes." Morgan spits out. Lensel smirks. He drops the bars and water next to me. Neither of us move to grab them. "Eat. Unless you don't want it." Lensel cocks his head. Morgan takes one and hands the other to me. I scarf mine down, barely tasting it. The pain in my stomach lessens a little. Morgan eats half and tries to hand the rest to me, but I refuse. "You need it more than I do." he insists. "No. We both need it. Eat." Morgan bends, his hunger winning. We take sparse sips of water, saving the rest for later. The whole time we eat Lensel watches us with amusement.</p><p>"Now that you two are all fed, we can get back to having some fun." He grabs at me, pulling me away from Morgan. "No, no, please-" I clutch at Morgan's shirt, trying to pull myself away from Lensel. "Not again! He can't take more, you'll kill him!" Morgan tugs me towards him. "I'll do whatever you want, just leave him alone," Morgan begs. Lensel releases me from his grip. I crawl over to Morgan. He wraps his arms around me and pulls my face into his shoulder. I think I'm crying. I'm not quite sure. "Leave him alone. I'll do whatever you want, alright? I won't fight." Lensel considers for a moment. "Fine."</p><p>"Derek, no, you can't-" he silences me with a glare. He looks at Lensel, his back straight. Lensel smiles. "Fine. But let's move this one out of the way first." His hands grab my hair and he pulls me away. The pain is like fire. My hands scratch at his arm, trying to pry him off. He finally drops me to the ground on the other side of the room. He kicks my stomach once for good measure and I double over. "You said you wouldn't hurt him!" Derek shouts, pulling against his restraints. "I'm keeping my end of the deal. I'm not hurting him. That isn't pain, not compared to what's coming next." A shiver runs through me at that. Something is about to happen, and it won't be good.</p><p>Lensel reaches into his back pocket and he pulls out a pocket knife. He stalks towards Morgan, roughly grabbing his face. He brings the knife down to Morgan's eye, centimeters away. Morgan's chest is heaving but he keeps a straight face. "Such nice brown eyes." Lensel mutters. Suddenly, he slices the knife down Morgan's cheek. Blood runs down from the cut and Morgan holds back a grunt. Lensel repeats the motion on the other cheek, pressing deeper. This time Morgan can't help but let a noise of pain out. I'm watching in horror, too scared to say anything. If I get Lensel angry, he could kill Morgan right here and now. I can't let that happen.</p><p>Lensel stabs the knife into Morgan's shoulder. Morgan shouts in pain, jerking away from the blade. Lensel makes another slice right below Morgan's collar bone. Red blooms across the fabric of Morgan's shirt. A red cloud that keeps growing as more and more cuts are added. I keep watching until I can't take it anymore. I can't watch Morgan in pain, hear him yell in agony. "Stop! Just stop! Please!" Lensel stops his movements. He turns to face me. Morgan's head falls against his chest, blood pouring from too many cuts. "Would you rather this was you?" he sneers. "Yes!" I shout out. Morgan doesn't deserve to be hurt. He needs to be okay, needs to get out of here alive. I'm expendable. Morgan isn't.</p><p>Lensel slowly walks over to me. I push myself as far back as I can, my skin cold against the cement wall. He kneels down to my level. "You're pretty when you beg." my heart drops. I stay silent. I can smell his breath from here. "Just for that, I'll give you two a break. But I'll be back later." His smile is too wide, all his sharp teeth showing. He stares at me like prey, getting ready to go in for the kill. Then he stands up and walks out. Just like that. I scramble over to Morgan, putting pressure on some of the bigger cuts. He grimaces but allows me to work. </p><p>His shirt has been cut with the knife so many times it's now just hanging off his frame. I rip it off. Bloody red lines cover Morgan's skin, too many to count. I take some of our remaining water and wash the cuts out. He hisses but stays still. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." I whisper. I rip some fabric from his shirt and tie it around the wound on his shoulder as a makeshift bandage. "I'm okay. Really." Morgan lies flawlessly, but I pick up on it. "You know you can't lie to me. I'm a profiler, remember?" I chuckle half heartedly. Morgan smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes.</p><p>"What did Lensel say to you over there?" Morgan asks. I know that he wants to know why Lensel stopped, just like that. I don't meet his eyes. "We need to stitch this up. For now, keep pressure on it." Morgan studies me, looking for any hints. I don't want to tell him what was said. It'll just scare him more. It's scaring me down to my bones. I know what Lensel wants from me. Morgan of all people knows how painful it can be. And he'd do anything to protect me, even if it meant getting himself killed. I can't let that happen. I can't.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>TW: Violence, threats of rape, being held at gun point</p><p>MORGAN'S POV:</p><p>I don't know how much time passes. It feels like hours, but it could be minutes. It's hard to measure. Reid is forcing me to stay still, saying that if I move too much I could hurt myself more. Something is bothering him, but I'm not sure what. He won't tell me. I've looked at every sign and tic, but even I can't read minds. If he doesn't want me to know, I won't know. He has every trick in the book stored in his brain, he could fool Hotch himself if he tried. I've tried getting him to tell me. He just changes the subject. In all honesty, the secrecy is making me more worried than before. Reid has tried to distract himself by taking care of me, but there's not much he can do without a proper first aid kit. I keep insisting that I'm fine but he just ignores me.</p><p>"Morgan. I need you to know something." Reid looks at me, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. I wait for him to continue. "None of this is your fault. Please, don't blame yourself. Whatever comes next, there's nothing you could have done. Just- just promise me that you won't blame yourself."</p><p>"What are you talking about-"</p><p>"Promise me." His voice is strong. This is the kind of serious that Reid rarely shows. I've only seen this a few times, and only when something terrible had or was about to happen. "Reid, please tell me what's going on," I plead. "Morgan. Promise me." </p><p>"Fine, I promise. Now can you please explain what's happ-" I'm cut off by the door opening. Lensel walks in. His face is covered by a black hood, his eyes glinting against the black fabric. He sets down a stool and places a computer on top of it. "We're going to call your friends from the BAU. Give them a message to back off." Lensel types something in and pulls up a video feed. I can see Reid and I in the computer screen, and we look like shit. Lensel walks over to us, a smug smile on his face. "Better retie your wrists. For appearances, you know." He forces Reid's arms behind his back, clipping a zip tie around them. Lensel doesn't bother with mine since I'm already restrained with rope. </p><p>"Oh! Look! They're on!" I can see a red blinking light on the computer. "You won't be able to see them, but they'll be able to see you. Give them a nice little wave!" He laughs at his own 'joke'. "Hello, BAU. Nice to finally meet you. Don't bother trying to trace this, it's encrypted. You wouldn't be able to break it even if you tried." I know Garcia is scoffing at him right now, typing away. She'll figure it out. Lensel pulls a gun out of his waistband, black and shiny. He cocks it, aiming it at the computer. "I've had quite a good time with these two. The screams were delectable." He slowly comes closer to us, swinging the gun back and forth. "Unfortunately, I only really have time for one. So one will have to go." He moves his finger between the two of us, mumbling a rhyme under his breath. His finger lands on me. "Agent Morgan! Looks like you're the lucky winner!" </p><p>He places the gun against my forehead. The metal is cold against my skin. "Any last words?" </p><p>"Please, don't, you don't need to do this-" Lensel presses the gun harder into my head. "Shut up. Let your friend have his dying words." Reid is shaking, his eyes wide with fear. "It's going to be okay, Reid. I promise. I promise." I take a breath. I close my eyes. I brace myself. I'm not ready to die, but we don't get to pick our time. I just wish Reid didn't have to see it. I feel the gun shift. Then I hear the pull of the trigger.</p><p>I don't feel any pain. I don't see a white light. But I hear laughter. I blink open my eyes, and I see Lensel standing in front of me, laughing his head off. "Oh, you're expression! That was priceless. You actually thought I was going to kill you!" Reid is breathing heavy sighs of relief. He's still shaking and he has tears running down his face. "You're sick." I hiss. That just makes him laugh harder. Once he stops laughing, he returns to his stone cold demeanor. He turns to the computer, smirking at it. He's silently gloating. "You see? These two are so entertaining." He places the gun down on the stool next to the computer. He stalks over to Reid, grabbing his hair and pulling his head back.</p><p>"Smile for the camera!" He tugs harder, eliciting a yelp from him. "Now this one, he's quite the looker. And he screams so well! You should have heard him begging for me to stop hurting Agent Morgan. Such a pretty sight." I can hear Reid's breath hitch. Lensel releases Reid's hair and Reid looks down, not able to meet my eyes. "I look forward to enjoying hearing his other screams." Reid is sobbing now. I want to reach out and hold him, but I'm held in place. "If your lucky, I'll film it and you can all watch it. I'm sure he'll make such pretty noises. I'll claim him as mine. Maybe I'll even keep him alive for longer, use him more than once. I bet he'd like that, the slut. He'll feel so good wrapped around my-"</p><p>"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I shout. I strain against my bonds, the ropes digging into my wrists. "Oh my. So angry. That's never attractive. See, that's why I prefer your quiet friend over here." I have to do something. I need to find a way to tell the team that it's Lensel. I rack my brain for ways. Then it comes to me. I know how we can tell the team.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
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    <p>TW: Violence, talk of rape</p><p>HOTCH'S POV:</p><p>"Jesus. Hotch, we- we have to get them out of there, before he-" JJ can't finish her sentence. The sight of Morgan and Reid on that screen makes me want to throw up. Morgan is covered in dried blood, cuts covering his body. Reid is black and blue, bruises all over his face. And his tears. He was crying, shaking like a leaf. "We have to do something!" Rossi shouts. When the unsub has started talking about raping Spencer, Rossi almost punched through the wall. The anger radiates off of him, red hot and burning. Garcia is crying while she types, wiping her eyes. "Garcia, play it again." I order. "Again? That's the third time, are you sure-" </p><p>"Play it again!" I shout. Garcia rewinds the recording and plays it once more. I study the both of them. Then it catches my eye. "Garcia, pause and replay the last five seconds." She does. "JJ. Morgan's blinking. It's morse code." JJ's eyes widen. She grabs a piece of paper and hurriedly starts translating it. A few seconds later, we have the words. "Lensel." She looks at me. "Lensel! Garcia, does officer Lensel have any property around here?" Garcia takes a moment before answering. "Yes! A small house on the outskirts of town! Sent the directions to you. Go get our boys back." </p><p> </p><p>REID'S POV:</p><p>Seconds tick by. Second after second. Each one bringing me closer to my fate. Morgan swore that he wouldn't let anything happen to me, but he's just as helpless as I am. It's a hollow promise, one that can never be kept. He told me he sent the team a message and explained how, but who knows if they'll ever actually see it. "I don't want him to touch me." My voice is quiet, barely more than a whisper. "He won't. I won't let him." Morgan says it with such conviction. I think he actually believes it. I'm scared. More scared than I've ever been. Mostly because I don't know what to expect. I've read about it, worked cases, seen evidence and all that. But it's different when it's actually going to happen to you. It's more real. Something you can't push to the back of your mind or distance yourself from. It's hanging over me like the sword of Damocles. </p><p>Suddenly a gun shot rings out. It's muffled by the cement walls, but we hear it nonetheless. I hear yelling and stomping. Then someone kicking at the door. It flies open and the team runs inside. JJ runs over to me, slicing the zip tie around my wrists. "JJ?" I can't believe they're here. That they found us. "Spence! You alright?" she looks me up and down for serious injuries while I rub my wrists. The red marks around them are sore and bruised. "I'm- I'm okay. Lensel. Is- I heard a gunshot." </p><p>"He's dead. We got him. Can you walk? We need to get you out of here." I nod. She helps me stand up and I lean into her. Slowly we walk up the stairs, Rossi helping Morgan up too. When we reach the top of the staircase, I'm blinded by the sun. JJ leads me outside and to a waiting ambulance. I tell her I don't need to go to the hospital, but she tells me I have to. Police are everywhere, taking photos and notes. In the distance I see a stretcher covered by a white sheet. A body lays underneath. JJ catches me looking and steps between me and the stretcher, blocking my view. "C'mon. Let's get you to the hospital."</p><p>                                                                                                                   *****************</p><p>After some poking and prodding, I'm allowed to have visitors. "How you feeling?" Hotch immediately asks. "Better. I have a broken ribs and bruises, but I'll be okay. How's Morgan?" </p><p>"You could just ask me, pretty boy." Emily wheels Morgan in. He's covered in bandages, but he's smiling and alive. "Are you okay? What did they say?" I ask. "Just needed some stitches. They don't think there'll even be scarring." I sigh in relief. I'm never drinking coffee from a police station again." I mutter. Morgan laughs, agreeing with me. JJ takes a seat at the foot of my hospital bed, Rossi and Hotch taking the stiff chairs. Emily stands behind Morgan, leaning against the wall. The room is alive with chatter, smiles on every face. For the first time in three days I feel completely safe. </p><p>I'm not okay, and I sure as hell am not going to be okay for a while, but I've got people who will help me. So no matter what comes next, I'm going to be ready. I've got my family to protect me.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>A/N: If you read all the way to the end of this crappy story, I applaud you. This was literally just a writing excerisise so I could work on my whump writing skills. The last two chapters were really hard to write, and they took a lot out of me. Not the most fun stuff to write. I hope you enjoyed my shitty whump! </strong>
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